Sky King Fraud Case: Have Not Admitted To CB Allegations, Claims Akash Pathak

Bhubaneswar: Clearly refuting the charges levelled against him, tainted IFS officer Abhaykant Pathak’s son Akash today said that he has not admitted to any of the allegations made by the Crime Branch during the interrogation.

“I have not admitted to any such allegations by the Crime Branch,” he told media persons outside the SDJM court in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

Akash has reportedly been sent to the jail after being produced in the SDJM court in the capital city following completion of his 4-day remand period.

“Akash has been taken to judicial custody after the end of his custodial remand. He will stay in Jharapara jail. Crime Branch has not sought any further remand before the court,” said his advocate.

On the other hand, police claimed to have elicited vital information from accused Akash in connection with the Rs 65 lakh fraud charges levelled against him by Sky King travel agency.

Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Umashankar Dash said the suspect has answered all the questions put before him during the custodial interrogation, and the purpose of the remand has been fulfilled.

On December 17, the Commissionerate Police had taken Akash on a four-day remand to interrogate him in connection with the allegations of Rs 65 lakh fraud levelled by Sky King, a Bhubaneswar-based travel agency.

Sky King had lodged a complaint at Kharavela Nagar police station on December 2, accusing Akash of defrauding the agency of over Rs 65 lakh.

Based on the complaint, the police had moved the court seeking remand of the accused Akash Pathak for interrogation.

According to reports, Akash and his father Abhaykant Pathak had booked chartered flights, five star hotels and air tickets through the agency which cost around Rs 2.78 crore. However, they had paid Rs 2.13 crore while outstanding bill of Rs 65,16,233 was not cleared, the agency alleged.

The travel agency had further alleged that the father-son duo threatened the officials of the Sky King of dire consequences when the latter approached them seeking clearance of the pending amount.

(Devbrat Patnaik)